WATCH: Novak Djokovic and his fans take over the iconic Times Square in a special event ahead of the US Open 2023

Djokovic returned to New York to play in the US Open for the first time since 2019.

WATCH: Novak Djokovic and his fans take over the iconic Times Square in a special event ahead of the US Open 2023

Djokovic at Times Square (Images via user generated content)

An event organized by Waterdrop in the Times Square area of New York City saw fans of Novak Djokovic take over the streets in huge numbers. In the morning hours of 25th August, the food and beverage company put up a tennis court in the middle of Times Square and invited all of ‘NoleFam’ to celebrate the return of the Serb to New York after 2 years for the upcoming Grand Slam at the Flushing Meadows.

The 23-time Grand Slam winner was also present for the event by Waterdrop. Djokovic interacted with his fans on Friday. He signed autographs, clicked pictures, and played tennis. Seeing the tennis star in front of their eyes and interacting with them must have been a ‘dream come true’ for his fans and followers.

YouTube video

“For the first time ever, Times Square has a tennis court and that is thanks to @drink_waterdrop,” a user posted on social media website, X (previously Twitter) with a clip from the event. They further went on to add, “Honestly, they organised such a nice event – seeing @djokernole play with kids from Harlem (special mention to this little boy who kept on hugging Novak? ()() ) was such a nice moment!”

FS Video

Djokovic also posed for the cameras and highlighted the importance of a water break, especially for an athlete like him, as Olivia Rodrigo’s “Good 4 you” played in the background. He engaged in tennis matches with kids and high-fived them as well.

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Fans stand in scorching heat to watch Novak Djokovic practice

Novak Djokovic(Image via CNN)
Novak Djokovic (Image via CNN)

Novak Djokovic returned to New York to play in the US Open for the first time since 2019. He was denied entry due to his unvaccinated status following COVID-19 protocols in the United States. The Serb did not participate in the events in Miami or Indian Wells due to this. Nole fans in New York, however, were too excited to have him back.

During one of his practice matches, the 36-year-old’s fans lined up to see him play under the scorching sun in New York. A never-ending queue formed in front of the stadium, all wanting to have a glimpse of the tennis star who won his 39th ATP Masters title just days prior, beating top seed Carlos Alcaraz.

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